4 ms·

It’s not the same to travel standing up (i.e. not having an assigned seat) than to be able to stand up (i.e. have an assigned seat).

• lutoma 4y ago
  But you don't have assigned seats on German high-speed trains. It certainly happens (although rarely) that trains are so full that some people need to stand
  • elnatro 4y ago
    You can buy a ticket for a non-assigned seat but not for long routes like the one that goes to Paris. I’d say that having to buy a ticket with an assigned seat in high-speed trains in Spain has been always been that way. However, short-route trains (Cercanías) don’t have assigned seat, but they are not high-speed trains.
    • Symbiote 4y ago
      The point is that it's not due to safety or security that Spain and France require a seat reservation. It will be to keep the quality of the service high, reduce boarding times, or something like that.
    • fomine3 4y ago
      fyi it's possible to buy Tokyo to Hakata (over 1000km, takes 5hr, max 300km/h) ticket without reserved sheet. (Though eventually free sheet will be available at the middle stations.)